Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off's weekly rap/hip-hop post, keeping you in the loop on new music, music news and other tidbits related (at least somewhat) to rap and hip-hop. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies.

Local news always cuts to the front of the line: Hip-hop conglomeration HISD are releasing their seasonal digi-tape Summer Sessions for free via www.peaceuvmine.com. These guys are dope, plus there’s a shitload of members, so chances are you probably know one of ‘em anyway.

Shocker: Hanging out at rappers’ parties is not safe. Not even Jermaine Dupri’s.

Ludacris, who was recently inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, went out of his way to prove Republicans right by support Barack Obama’s bid for presidency with the above ditty...

...from which the Obama camp quickly distanced itself, calling it “Outrageously offensive.” No word yet on how they feel about "Crank Dat Obama" (above), but we think it’s rather catchy:

Probably the most surprising bit about this claim is not that the diminutive Florida rapper Plies may have lied about his criminal past, but that his first name is "Algernod." What the shit is that? Is his dad a wizard or something?

50 Cent and his son’s mother still aren’t getting along. It sure is fun to watch people go from being famous to not. We’re really looking forward to seeing him on the next Surreal Life. Maybe they can do a whole G-Unit themed season.

Outlawz, "Fork in the Road"

Which is the greatest rap group ever? If you didn’t say the Outlawz, then you’re stupid. Apparently.

The government gives a sideways apology for slavery so, you know, it’s all good now. Right.

You know what we always thought was funny as shit? At the beginning of Biggie Smalls' "Come Roll Wit Me" (above), when he says, "There’s gonna be a lotta punchin’ in this muthafucka." There’s no recent news to ties to that, but whatever, we write this column, you don’t. And we like that rappers used to make threats with mere punches.

How pissed were you when you found out Chris Brown was secretly schilling for Wrigley? Probably not as those stodges over at Gawker.